Five Gators scored in double-digits, including a game-high 20 points for junior Kenny Boynton (Pompano Beach, Fla.), to power past the University of North Florida, 91-55, in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Thursday night. The win lifts the Gators to 2-1 on the season, while the Ospreys fall to 1-2.
Boynton led both teams with 20 points in the contest, adding five assists and two rebounds. Senior guard Erving Walker (Brooklyn, N.Y.) put up 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, and redshirt junior Mike Rosario (Jersey City, N.J.) added 15, going 4-for-6 beyond the three-point arc. Junior Erik Murphy (South Kingstown, R.I.) chipped in 13 points, grabbing four boards, and freshman guard Bradley Beal (St. Louis, Mo.) earned his first career double-double, notching 12 points and 10 rebounds.
As a team, the Gators earned 12 steals, as Scottie Wilbekin (Gainesville, Fla.) tied his career high with a game-best four. Walker added a steal, marking his seventh consecutive game with a takeaway. Redshirt freshman Cody Larson (Sioux Falls, S.D.) came off the bench to earn his first career blocked shot, one of three for the Gators on the night.
North Florida forward Andy Diaz got the game started with a layup 14 seconds in to put the Ospreys up 2-0. The Gators followed that with an 8-0 run to take a quick 8-2 lead and UF never trailed the rest of the game. The Florida defense held the Ospreys to single digits for the first 10 minutes of the game, taking a 23-9 lead before a pair of free throws by Parker Smith gave UNF 11 points. The Gators continued to roll through the first half, building a 20-point lead, up 39-19 with 3:32 to go in the frame, and headed into the locker room at the break holding a 39-22 advantage. Boynton had an outstanding first half, putting up 14 points before the break, while Beal was well on his way to the double-double with seven points and six rebounds.
A three-pointer by Walker opened the second half scoring, putting the Gators back ahead by 20, 42-22, and an 11-0 run early in the half pushed Florida even further in front, taking a 60-28 advantage with 13:34 to go. The Ospreys continued to fight, but a Beal three-pointer at 9:13 gave UF its largest lead of the night, a 37-point margin at 73-36.
The Gators are back in action on Monday, Nov. 21, when they take on Wright State in a neutral-site game at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. The game, slated to tip off at 7 p.m., will air on Sun Sports.
